Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the division of responsibility is between it and the Department for Transport on aviation matters and what the remit is of each area of responsibility.

Nicol Stephen: Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998, and The Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc) Order 1999, set out the division of responsibility on aviation matters between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 apply to the children of asylum seekers.

Peter Peacock: Nationality, immigration and asylum are matters for the Home Office. The terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 apply to the children of asylum seekers except where disapplied by UK legislation.

Asylum Seekers

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 are overridden by the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.

Peter Peacock: Nationality, immigration and asylum are matters for the Home Office. In certain circumstances some provisions of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 are disapplied by the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Care of Elderly People

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has received (a) in total and (b) per capita for services for older people from (i) the National Lottery, (ii) central government and (iii) any other sources, in each of the last three years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The distribution of National Lottery funds is a matter for the Lottery Distribution Bodies. The information requested is not held centrally by the Executive.

  The revenue grant provided to local authorities is largely unhypothecated and it is up to each authority how it allocates these resources to meet its local needs and priorities. Details of how much each authority has received can be found in the local government finance circulars 9/1999, 3/2001, and 7/2002 (Bib. numbers 8310, 20316, and 26111 respectively).

  Details of how much each authority has spent on services for the elderly can be found in the "CIPFA Rating Review" publications. The most recent year available is 2001-02 (Bib. number 17055), although prior years are also available. A copy of the local government finance circulars and CIPFA publication can be obtained in the Parliament's Reference Centre by quoting the relevant Bib. number.

  Three local authorities (South Lanarkshire, Argyll and Bute, and Dumfries and Galloway) are using the Executive's Better Neighbourhood Services Fund (BNSF) specifically to improve services for older people. Funding to these authorities over the period 2001-04 is £2.4 million, £1.49 million and £1.35 million respectively. As this funding is focused on particular localities, a per capita figure for the authority as a whole would be inaccurate.

  Further information regarding funding from other sources is not held centrally.

Dental Health

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of under-16-year-olds have had dental decay in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally.

Ferry Services

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency plans it has made for maintaining lifeline services to those communities and islands serviced by Caledonian MacBrayne in the event of a strike by the company's employees.

Nicol Stephen: I am encouraged by the recent progress made by Caledonian MacBrayne and the trade unions representing its workforce. I trust that this will remove any threat of industrial action.

Ferry Services

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has estimated what extra costs will be incurred by tourist operators in the Highlands and Islands in the event of a strike by employees of Caledonian MacBrayne.

Nicol Stephen: No. I trust that the recent progress in negotiations will remove any threat of industrial action.

Ferry Services

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to help tourists and local residents stranded in the event of a strike by employees of Caledonian MacBrayne.

Nicol Stephen: In view of the progress made in recent negotiations between Caledonian MacBrayne and the unions representing its workforce, I do not envisage tourists or local residents being stranded by industrial action.

Fire Service

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure the continued existence of auxiliary fire services, and what representations it has made to joint fire boards on the issue.

Hugh Henry: The importance which the Executive attaches to the service provided by retained and volunteer firefighters was highlighted in our policy consultation paper, The Scottish Fire Service of the Future , published last year.

  More specifically, the Executive has given considerable policy and financial support to the development of the auxiliary service in the Highland and Islands. Since 2000-01 the Highland and Islands Joint Board has received £8 million in capital consent, 40% of which has been to assist their auxiliary service upgrade programme. This involves new build or improvements to a number of existing identified fire stations; providing new equipment - especially breathing apparatus and vehicles - and an intensive training programme to bring auxiliary firefighters up to the safety standards required by the Health and Safety Executive.

  Grant Aided Expenditure funding for the board has increased from £9.9 million in 2000-01 to £12.2 million in 2003-04, an increase of 22.4%. Ministers also agreed a further £1 million in 2003-04 to assist with the revenue consequences of the upgrade programme.

Fire Service

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that no auxiliary fire service is terminated without a debate in the Parliament being held on the issue and whether it has any plans to bring forward the proposals previously contained in amendment 59 to section 33 of the Local Government in Scotland Bill, which was defeated in the Stage 3 debate in the Parliament on 8 January 2003.

Hugh Henry: The importance which the Executive attaches to the development of the fire service, including the contribution by retained/auxiliary firefighters, was set out in our consultation paper, The Scottish Fire Service of the Future , published in April 2002. The existing statutory framework for the fire service is out of date. Our detailed proposals for modern legislation for a modern fire service - and which will directly increase local decision making to meet local needs in protecting the community - will be set out in a further consultation paper to be published in the autumn.

Inter-Governmental Links

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1058 by Tavish Scott on 28 July 2003, whether it has sought, or will seek, membership at full, association, or other level of the Nordic Council of Ministers and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive believes that closer co-operation between the Scottish Executive and the Nordic Council of Ministers will deliver benefits for Scotland. It is not necessary to become a member of the Nordic Council to enjoy these benefits and the Executive is not seeking to do so.

Livestock

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1227 by Ross Finnie on 30 July 2003, whether it will give the information requested on the numbers of live sheep, lambs and pigs exported for slaughter, further fattening and breeding, for Scotland only.

Ross Finnie: The information requested, for Scotland only, is given in the following tables:

  


2000

Live 
  Sheep



Country of Destination

Breeding

Fattening

Slaughter



Belgium

155

0

0



France

1,180

0

0



Germany

92

0

0



Ireland (Rep)

6

0

0



Netherlands

44

0

0



Switzerland

13

0

0



Total

1,490

0

0



  

 2001
 Live 
  Sheep


 Country of Destination
 Breeding
 Fattening
 Slaughter


 France
 30
 0
 0


 Ireland (Rep)
 0
 0
 700


 Total
 30
 0
 700



  

 2002
 Live 
  Sheep


 Country of Destination
 Breeding
 Fattening
 Slaughter


 Belgium
 9
 0
 0


 France
 30
 5,890
 0


 Germany
 1
 0
 0


 Ireland (Rep)
 58
 0
 0


 Netherlands
 34
 0
 0


 Total
 132
 5,890
 0



  The above figures relate to consignments of Scottish sheep which were certified for export directly abroad. Information is not available for Scottish consignments which transited an Assembly Centre outwith Scotland and were subsequently certified for export as combined consignments with sheep from other parts of GB.

  

 2000
 Live 
  Pigs


 Country of Destination
 Breeding
 Fattening
 Slaughter


 Belgium
 1,075
 0
 0


 Denmark
 83
 0
 0


 France
 2,000
 0
 0


 Germany
 4,589
 0
 0


 Italy
 2,654
 0
 0


 Netherlands
 2,004
 0
 0


 Spain
 5,513
 0
 0


 Total
 17,918
 0
 0



  

 2001
 Live 
  Pigs


 Country of Destination
 Breeding
 Fattening
 Slaughter


 Germany
 2,679
 0
 0


 Netherlands
 545
 0
 0


 Spain
 400
 0
 0


 Total
 3,624
 0
 0



  

 2002
 Live 
  Pigs


 Country of Destination
 Breeding
 Fattening
 Slaughter


 Germany
 1,360
 0
 0


 Greece
 22
 0
 0


 Italy
 451
 0
 0


 Netherlands
 933
 0
 0


 Total
 2,766
 0
 0

Public Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its role is in (a) granting, (b) funding and (c) monitoring public service obligation tenders and services.

Nicol Stephen: The rules in relation to public service obligations (PSOs) are determined by the European Union.

  In the case of maritime PSOs, the rules are set out in Council Regulation 3577/92 and associated guidelines 97/C205/05. These allow member states to conclude PSOs. The Executive's role involves ensuring its arrangements for subsidising Scottish ferry services are consistent with EU rules and that subsidy can continue to be made. This includes proposing PSOs, consulting with the Commission about such proposals and tendering these to comply with the rules. The Executive currently provides subsidy in respect of Clyde and Hebrides ferry services, operated by Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd, and Orkney and Shetland ferry services, operated by NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd, and it monitors the respective contracts.

  In the case of aviation, PSOs are governed by EU Regulation 2408/92. The Scottish Executive ensures that any case for a PSO meets the criteria contained in the regulation. Local authorities are expected to fund, from their own resources, any air service PSO which operated entirely within their boundaries. The Executive funds the three PSOs which currently cross local authority boundaries.

Road Accidents

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive on which road locations in Angus fatal and serious road accidents have been recorded since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: The Central Statistical Database contains information on the road class and number (if any), the grid reference of the locations of road accidents, local authority area and police force area.

  Figures for the numbers of accidents on individual roads can only be produced from the central statistical database in cases where the roads are of class M, A(M), A or B, and in cases where figures are sought for particular stretches (rather than their full lengths within Scotland), the start and end points are specified.

  The following table gives the number of fatal and serious road accidents by road class and number in Angus in each of the years since 1999.

  It should be noted that the statistics given are based upon the data which are held in the central statistical database and which were collected by the police at the time of the accident and subsequently reported to the Executive. They may differ from any figures which the local authority would provide now, because they do not take account of any subsequent changes or corrections that the local authority may have made to the statistical information, for use at a local level, about the location of each accident, based upon its knowledge of the road and area concerned.

  Fatal and Serious Accidents in Angus, 1999 to 2002

  


 

1999

2000

2001

2002



A90

9

8

13

9



A92

10

9

12

10



A923

1

2

2

1



A926

6

5

5

3



A928

3

1

3

0



A929

1

0

0

0



A930

1

1

1

5



A932

2

0

2

2



A933

3

7

5

5



A934

2

1

1

0



A935

5

0

4

4



A937

4

1

1

1



A94

1

3

2

0



B9095

1

0

0

2



B9113

0

3

0

1



B9127

1

1

1

2



B9128

3

5

2

1



B913

1

0

0

0



B9134

3

1

2

1



B951

1

0

0

0



B954

1

3

2

1



B961

2

6

1

4



B962

1

0

1

0



B966

1

1

3

3



B978

3

1

1

0



C Roads

8

11

10

12



Unclassified

30

20

21

17



Total

104

90

95

84

Road Safety

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road accidents there were that resulted in death or injury to cyclists in the last three years in each police force area, broken down into accidents that resulted in (a) fatalities, (b) serious injuries and (c) slight injuries, expressed as a ratio to population in each area.

Nicol Stephen: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form.

  The table gives the number of road accidents that resulted in death or injury to cyclists in the last three years by police force area, severity and rate per hundred thousand of the population. Where an accident involved more than one cyclist casualty the severity of the accident has been graded according to the highest severity of cyclist casualty.

  It should be noted that the statistics given are based upon the data which are held in the central statistical database and which were collected by the police at the time of the accident and subsequently reported to the Executive. They may differ from any figures which the local authority would provide now, because they do not take account of any subsequent changes or corrections that the local authority may have made to the statistical information, for use at a local level, about the location of each accident, based upon its knowledge of the road and area concerned.

  


Police Force

Accident Severity

Numbers

Rates 
  Per 100,000 Population



2000

2001

2002

2000

2001

2002



Northern

Fatal

3

0

2

1.1

0.0

0.7



Serious

9

9

11

3.2

3.3

4.0



Slight

35

41

36

12.6

14.8

13.1



Grampian

Fatal

2

2

1

0.4

0.4

0.2



Serious

5

15

11

0.9

2.9

2.1



Slight

70

58

64

13.3

11.0

12.2



Tayside

Fatal

0

3

0

0.0

0.8

0.0



Serious

14

13

12

3.6

3.3

3.1



Slight

47

55

50

12.0

14.1

12.9



Fife

Fatal

1

0

2

0.3

0.0

0.6



Serious

11

8

5

3.2

2.3

1.4



Slight

32

40

21

9.2

11.4

6.0



Lothian and Borders

Fatal

2

2

0

0.2

0.2

0.0



Serious

34

38

32

3.9

4.3

3.6



Slight

231

226

230

26.2

25.5

25.9



Central

Fatal

0

0

0

0.0

0.0

0.0



Serious

11

13

9

3.9

4.7

3.2



Slight

33

36

25

11.8

12.9

8.9



Strathclyde

Fatal

3

2

2

0.1

0.1

0.1



Serious

75

57

58

3.4

2.6

2.6



Slight

231

261

219

10.5

11.8

9.9



Dumfries and Galloway

Fatal

1

1

1

0.7

0.7

0.7



Serious

4

5

4

2.7

3.4

2.7



Slight

17

21

15

11.5

14.2

10.2



Scotland

Fatal

12

10

8

0.2

0.2

0.2



Serious

163

158

142

3.2

3.1

2.8



Slight

696

738

660

13.7

14.6

13.1

Road Safety

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent in each of the last three years on promoting road safety, specifically amongst (a) motorists, (b) cyclists, (c) motorcyclists and (d) pedestrians.

Nicol Stephen: Information is not available in the format requested.

  The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign for the development of key road safety education initiatives and publicity messages aimed at all road users. Details of the campaign's expenditure is contained in its annual report. Copies of this document for the years 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 6783, 21011 and 27891).

Road Safety

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated for cycle routes by each local authority in each of the last three years, expressed also on a per capita basis.

Nicol Stephen: Allocations have been made for wider cycling, walking and safer streets (CWSS) projects which can include work on safer routes to school. Details of the allocations are set out in the table.

  


 

Population

Allocation 2001-02 
  (1000)

Spending 2001-02 
  per Capita

Allocation 2002-03 
  (1000)

Spending 2002-03 
  per Capita

Allocation 2003-04 
  (1000)

Spending 2003-04 
  per Capita



Aberdeen City

211,910

£111

£0.52

£171

£0.81

£300

£1.42



Aberdeenshire

226,940

£118

£0.52

£182

£0.80

£316

£1.39



Angus

108,370

£65

£0.60

£100

£0.92

£175

£1.61



Argyll and Bute

91,300

£58

£0.64

£90

£0.99

£157

£1.72



Clackmannanshire

48,070

£29

£0.60

£44

£0.92

£76

£1.58



Dumfries and Galloway

147,780

£79

£0.53

£121

£0.82

£211

£1.43



Dundee City

145,460

£82

£0.56

£125

£0.86

£218

£1.50



East Ayrshire

120,310

£71

£0.59

£109

£0.91

£189

£1.57



East Dunbartonshire

108,250

£66

£0.61

£101

£0.93

£176

£1.63



East Lothian

90,180

£55

£0.61

£85

£0.94

£148

£1.64



East Renfrewshire

89,410

£53

£0.59

£81

£0.91

£142

£1.59



Edinburgh, City of

449,020

£277

£0.62

£425

£0.95

£739

£1.65



Eilean Siar

26,450

£19

£0.72

£29

£1.10

£50

£1.89



Falkirk

145,270

£85

£0.59

£130

£0.89

£227

£1.56



Fife

349,770

£204

£0.58

£313

£0.89

£544

£1.56



Glasgow City

578,710

£372

£0.64

£570

£0.98

£991

£1.71



Highland

208,920

£112

£0.54

£172

£0.82

£299

£1.43



Inverclyde

84,150

£51

£0.61

£78

£0.93

£135

£1.60



Midlothian

80,950

£50

£0.62

£77

£0.95

£134

£1.66



Moray

87,000

£44

£0.51

£68

£0.78

£118

£1.36



North Ayrshire

135,820

£82

£0.60

£125

£0.92

£217

£1.60



North Lanarkshire

321,180

£196

£0.61

£300

£0.93

£521

£1.62



Orkney

19,220

£15

£0.78

£23

£1.20

£40

£2.08



Perth and Kinross

134,950

£80

£0.59

£123

£0.91

£213

£1.58



Renfrewshire

172,850

£106

£0.61

£162

£0.94

£282

£1.63



Scottish Borders

106,950

£62

£0.58

£94

£0.88

£164

£1.53



Shetland

21,960

£0

£0.00

£0

£0.00

£0

£0.00



South Ayrshire

112,160

£67

£0.60

£103

£0.92

£178

£1.59



South Lanarkshire

302,340

£189

£0.63

£289

£0.96

£503

£1.66



Stirling

86,200

£50

£0.58

£77

£0.89

£133

£1.54



West Dunbartonshire

93,320

£57

£0.61

£87

£0.93

£151

£1.62



West Lothian

159,030

£95

£0.60

£146

£0.92

£253

£1.59

Road Safety

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to promote cycling, and what budgets have been allocated for this purpose, in each of the last four years and what further steps and budget allocations are planned in the next three years.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive is promoting cycling by a number of means, including financial support for local authorities and the voluntary sector. Nearly £21 million has been allocated to local authorities over the period 2000-04 for cycling, walking and safer streets projects including safer routes to school. In addition, the Executive has provided over £1.5 million to the cycling charity Sustrans for improvements to the National Cycle Network in Scotland. The Executive is also core-funding a new "Cycling Scotland" delivery organisation, with £300,000 being provided in its first full year of operation. I hope to announce shortly what future support for cycling will be made.

Roads

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for the planned improvements to the A75.

Nicol Stephen: Further to the answer to question S1W-30886 on 19 November 2002 and subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures the current position on the A75 planned improvements is:

  


Cairntop to Barlae

Construction start programmed for autumn 
  2004



Newton Stewart (DAL) Differential Acceleration 
  Lane

Construction start programmed for summer 
  2004



Barfil to Bettyknowes

Construction start programmed for winter 
  2003-04



Planting End to Drumflower

Construction start programmed for autumn 
  2004



Dunragit Realignment

Construction start programmed for autumn 
  2006



Hardgrove to Kinmount

Construction start programmed for autumn 
  2006



  The Cairntop to Barlae scheme has encountered poor ground conditions and as a consequence will require a redesign and the publication of additional statutory orders.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottishparliament.uk/webapp/wa.search

Roads

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether BEAR Scotland Ltd benefits from the non-applicability of section 11 of the Weeds Act 1959 to roads for which the Executive is the road authority and, if so, what arrangements exist to ensure that BEAR Scotland Ltd maintains all roads and verges for which it is responsible free from those weeds specified in section 1 of the act.

Nicol Stephen: Section 11 of the Weeds Act 1959 applies to the Scottish ministers as trunk road authority. BEAR Scotland Ltd, who maintain the trunk road network in the North of Scotland on behalf of the Scottish ministers, are required under the Trunk Road Maintenance Contracts to control the weeds specified in section 1 of the Weeds Act 1959 to prevent them developing as infestations or becoming a nuisance.

Roads

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements exist to ensure that the weeds specified in section 1 of the Weeds Act 1959 are cleared from roads and verges for which responsibility as road authority lies with (a) it and (b) the local authority.

Nicol Stephen: The Trunk Road Maintenance Contracts require the Operating Companies to control the weeds specified in section 1 of the Weeds Act 1959 to prevent them developing as infestations or becoming a nuisance. The performance of the Operating Companies in all aspects of the contract, including weed control, is monitored by the Performance Audit Group and appropriate action will be taken by the Scottish Executive if the requirements of the contract with regard to weed control are not met.

  Under section 1 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, local authorities have a general duty to maintain local roads and verges in their area. The local authorities are therefore responsible for the control of the weeds specified in section 1 of the Weeds Act 1959 on the local road network. The Scottish Executive has no locus to intervene in how councils carry out their day-to-day responsibilities on this issue.

Scottish Executive Advertising

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each of its departments (a) spent in 2002-03 and (b) plans to spend in (i) 2003-04 and (ii) 2004-05 on advertising and marketing, broken down by month and media type.

Mr Andy Kerr: The expenditure on advertising and marketing in 2002-03 is as follows.

  Health Dept: Drugs, Flu, Breathing Space, Healthy Eating/LivingNHS Helpline, Free Personal Care, Organ Donation, Organ Retention

  


 

Total (£)



TV

2,079,224



Radio

309,910



Cinema

138,895



Press

1,078,466



Outdoor

565,185



Research

110,031



Non-advertising Support

437,689



Production

1,104,538



Total

5,823,938



  Justice Dept: Crime Brakers, Domestic Abuse, Fire Prevention, Safer Scotland

  


 

Total (£)



TV

232,351



Radio

108,599



Cinema

 



Press

346,963



Outdoor

 



Research

41,494



Non-advertising Support

140,968



Production

432,503



Total

1,194,388



  Rural Affairs Dept: Environment, Farmers on Line

  


 

Total (£)



TV

349,680



Radio

 



Cinema

 



Press

118,431



Outdoor

 



Research

60,638



Non-advertising Support

154,940



Production

282,585



Total

966,274



  Development Dept: European Year of the Disabled, Glasgow Housing, Racism, Road Safety

  


 

Total (£)



TV

1,355,578



Radio

173,565



Cinema

76,424



Press

78,063



Outdoor

392,684



Research

23,569



Non-advertising Support

355,255



Production

979,018



Total

3,434,156



  Education Dept: Child Protection on the Internet, Children's Hearings, Funding for Learners, Home Reading, Social Care, National Debate on Education, UEFA

  


 

Total (£)



TV

111,235



Radio

266,361



Cinema

56,187



Press

637,084



Outdoor

4,434



Research

209,981



Non-advertising Support

297,772



Production

409,762



Total

1,992,816



  ELL&T Dept: Digital Access, Concessionary Travel, Regional Selective Assistance, Travel Awareness, Traveline, Broadband

  


 

Total (£)



TV

331,278



Radio

112,643



Cinema

 



Press

289,374



Outdoor

211,704



Research

43,314



Non-advertising Support

256,301



Production

159,646



Total

1,404,260



  


Advertising Total

2002-03

£13,172,907



Non-advertising Support Total

2002-03

£1,642,925



  I have set the advertising budget for 2003-04 at £9.75 million, a reduction of more than 25 per cent on the previous year. This is in line with the First Minister's public undertaking to reduce advertising expenditure.

  Non advertising support items - some of which could be described as marketing - such as websites, response mechanisms, events, sponsorship, exhibitions, equipment hire, campaign promotion, and printed promotional and information material are budgeted at £1.64 million, the same level as for 2002-03.

  A monthly breakdown of expenditure for 2002-03 and 2003-04 would only record the arbitrary payment date of invoices and therefore would serve little purpose in view of the cost to provide such information.

  Plans for 2004-05 expenditure are not yet available.

Short Sea and Waterways Forum

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Short Sea and Waterways Forum, announced by the Department for Transport on 17 July 2003, will also operate in Scotland; if so, what the forum's role will be, and what the Executive's position is on the promotion and operation of the forum.

Nicol Stephen: The Short Sea and Waterways Forum is an industry led body that represents UK water freight interests including all the main Scottish ports and waterways. Its overarching aim is the promotion of water freight transport throughout the UK.

  We welcome the formation of an organisation which has the potential to develop this important freight transport sector.

Teachers

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much contact time probationary teachers have had in each local authority area in each of the last five years and what projections have been made for such contact time.

Peter Peacock: The Teacher Induction Scheme (the scheme), introduced in August 2002, offers probationer teachers a guaranteed one-year teaching post. Under the scheme, probationers have a class commitment of 0.7 full-time-equivalent (FTE), with the remainder of their time allocated for professional development. The 0.7 FTE class commitment translates into maximum class contact times of 17.5 hours for probationers in the primary sector; 16.45 hours in secondary, and 15.75 hours in special.

  It is for local authorities to determine the terms and conditions of contract of probationer teachers who are not on the scheme; as it was in the case of all probationers prior to the introduction of the scheme. The Executive does not collect data relating to such contracts.

  The Induction Implementation Group, established to implement and develop the scheme, will consider in due course whether adjustments are necessary to the class contact time for probationers on the scheme in light of the future phased reduction of class contact time for teachers.

Waste Management

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that awards from the Strategic Waste Fund are spent in accordance with implementation plans submitted by local authorities.

Ross Finnie: Bids to the Strategic Waste Fund are assessed to ensure that they conform to the implementation plans, are in line with the relevant area waste plans and offer value for money. Grant conditions require the relevant authority to provide the Executive with quarterly reports on implementation and the extent to which targets and achievements are being met. Local authority integrated waste management plans under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 will also need to be in accordance with the implementation plans.

Young People

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-679 by Cathy Jamieson on 17 June 2003, whether it has made representations to the Ministry of Defence regarding the extension of Operation Youth Advantage throughout Scotland and whether it will place a copy of any correspondence on this issue in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Cathy Jamieson: As I indicated in my earlier answer, Operation Youth Advantage is an initiative run by the British Army Career Service as part of a range of activities aimed at encouraging young men and women to consider a career in the army. Northern Constabulary and Grampian Police have both been involved in the scheme. While I understand that other police forces in Scotland have expressed an interest in participating, I made clear in my earlier answer that it is for individual police forces to decide on the extent of their involvement. As a result, the Executive has made no representations to the Ministry of Defence about extending the scheme.

Youth Organisations

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support youth work by uniformed and non-uniformed organisations.

Euan Robson: Through the Children and Young people's Group grant scheme, we provide grant of £1,175,569 to support the work of the HQs of 31 national voluntary youth work organisations.

  Education Department has also allocated £500,000 in the current year to YouthLink Scotland to take forward an agreed work plan on youth work issues which covers support to both the voluntary and statutory sectors.

  Support for local authority youth work provision is provided through community education Grant Aided Expenditure.

  As part of the inspection of community learning and development, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) report on aspects of youth work provision, including support from voluntary agencies where they are working in partnership with local authorities. HMIE reports comment on the quality of youth work provision and, where necessary, make recommendations on action required to be undertaken for improvement.